Spring is here and that means it’s time to start gardening! I have seedinglings going in my bedroom window that are ready to be planted as soon as the danger of frost has passed. Here is what I am planting in my garden this year!
This Year’s Plants
We are planning to move across the state this summer. That means, most of my plants are going into pots, so that they can move with me. A few will go into the raised bed to be harvested before we move or by the next owners. Earlier this spring, I considered just skipping a garden this year, but I couldn’t bring myself to not planting anything at all. I love my garden and all of the yummy things it produces.
Because of my hesitation, I did not plan ahead enough to order heirloom seeds online. That will have to wait until another year. I found all of my seeds at Walmart or Lowe’s. I think I’ve stopped at the seeds every time we go to the store and picked up “just a couple packets.” Although according to my husband it may be a “whole garden’s worth” every time we go. Perspective, I guess.
I started my seeds a few weeks ago. I used the seed starter trays from Walmart. They have stayed in the bedroom window. They must be kept away from the cat, who thinks it is ok to eat the leaves off as soon as they start to grow. All of that to say, you don’t need special lights or heating pads to start seeds indoors.
If you are a a brand new gardener or just a garden dreamer, check out my post How to Plan a Garden. It is a great place to start if you have no idea what to plant or how to plant it.
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Vegetables I’m Planting This Year
Peas
I enjoy cooked peas, but not fresh. My husband will eat peas in very small amounts if they are in a dish, but never alone and never fresh. I will put a few plants in pots and the rest in the garden. I may get to harvest the ones in the garden before we move. All of the pea plants will be trellised. I will plant them on either side of the trellis to maximize my space.
Cucumbers
I love cucumbers. There are never enough to pickle because I eat them all fresh. I will put a couple of plants in pots, but most of them are going into the garden. For both the pots and the garden, I will grow the cucumbers on a trellis. It makes them so much easier to harvest and prevents me from missing one and having it turn into a baseball bat.
Tomatoes
Some of the tomatoes will go in post and the rest will go in the raised bed. I do not like tomatoes, but do enjoy tomato products. My husband likes tomatoes, but will only eat about one a week. This means that I look for a variety that is good for canning. It can’t be too juicy or processing takes forever. This year I went with beefsteak tomatoes.
Lettuce
I have a hydroponic garden that is nothing but lettuce. I want to add a variety of lettuces to it, so that it makes a yummy salad. If the plants get too big or I have to many seeds, then the lettuce will be put into pots and the garden.
Carrots
I love carrots. They are my favorite vegetable. The carrot seeds are going to be direct sowed into a pot as soon as the last average frost date has passed. Hopefully the soil in the pot will be loose enough for them to grow. They did not do well in the garden last year, so they will all be potted this year.
Herbs I’m Planting This Year
I have started my herbs in my hydroponic gardens. This means that all of the plants are already producing and being harvested.
Dill
My dill plant has gone crazy already. I’ve got so much dill, that I am giving it away and dehydrating it already. It is quite yummy on roasted potatoes or oyster crackers.
Basil
I have two basil plants and both have been harvested twice already. My mom used to make basil pesto and put it on spaghetti. We called it green spaghetti and it’s one of my favorites. I have pesto cubes frozen for a quick dinner.
Parsley
My parsley in the hydroponic garden is just now growing. I have two plants from last year in the garden. They are already big and green. There hasn’t been a big harvest yet, but there will be very soon.
Peppermint
Last year I managed to kill my peppermint plant. I have a peppermint extract going, but it needs more mint to work well. There is a peppermint plant in the hydroponic garden and I have seeds started for more plants. Peppermint will always have to be in a pot to keep it from taking over the entire garden.
Thyme
There is thyme in the garden, in a pot, and in the hydroponic garden. This innocent looking plant spreads like wildfire. It is another one that will have to be in a pot to avoid mutiny in the garden.
Cilantro
We love Mexican food and nothing goes better with a burrito than a little bit of cilantro lime rice. Therefore we are going to put in a bit of cilantro. We don’t eat a lot of it, so a couple of the plants will go in the pot and the rest will go in the garden.
Flowers I’m Planting This year
Purple Cone Flowers
These flowers are beautiful and they have medicinal properties. It can also be called echinacea, which is how it is labeled in most herbal remedies. I am putting all of them in pots because I want to take them all with me. Plus I don’t want the flowers in my raised bed. These can get tall and may need tied up later in the season.
Chamomile
These flowers are simple yet beautiful. They also have medical properties. Chamomile tea anybody? My plan is to put them all in flower pots as well. I just don’t like putting flowers in my vegetable garden.
Hollyhock
Once again this plant has pretty flowers, but it has medicinal properties similar to marsh mallow.The entire plant is edible. I’m curious about trying it out this year. I figure the worst that could happen is that I get pretty flowers.
Lavender
I love the smell of lavender. I started my plants last year in the garden. They just got transplanted into pots, so that they can make the move. I love the smell and they attract bees to my other plants. I’m hoping to use the plant to make soaps or something pretty this fall.
Would You Like to Start a Garden This Year?
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